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| | Wednesday, March 29 | |||||
| If there is one thing ESPN auto racing analyst Bill Weber loves more than being down in the pits for a NASCAR race, it's giving the fans the inside scoop. So he's opened up his email to you, the fans, this season.
The Winston Cup season is in full swing and Weber is following the circuit -- this week he's in Bristol, Tenn., for the Food City 500. Before he finds his way to the pits this weekend, Weber took the time to answer a few of your questions. "I would like to know why everybody talks aboue Dale Earnhardt Jr., all the time. I feel that Matt Kenseth is just as good, if not better, than Little E! Is it just because his last name is Earnhardt? My vote is for Matt Kenseth for rookie of the year." Bill,Tawas City, Mich. Hey Dollar Bill, Everybody gets a vote, thanks for registering yours. I would say the conversation and coverage of the "rookie" race has been well balanced. Earnhardt is a two-time Busch Series champion and certainly has tremendous name recognition. But Matt has raced well and has earned and received a great deal of coverage. I don't think anyone believes Dale Jr., will just waltz away with rookie of the year honors. "When a crew chief leaves his position with a race team, does his car set-up and track notes leave with him, or are they property of the team. I am referring to Ray Evernham leaving Jeff Gordon. Did they keep Ray's notes and set-ups?" Steve Romo, Hesperia Calif. Steve, It varies by team and mabe even by contract with the employer. I can't speak directly to the Evernham/Gordon situation, but Brian Whitesell is still with the crew, and as team engineer last year I'm certain he kept detailed notes of what they ran and where. Remember, it's a brand new Monte Carlo this year and we've already seen a rule change with the "nose" of the car that could make old notes obsolete. "Why is it NASCAR hasn't made it mandatory that all tracks have only one pit row from the beginning? There is a definate disadvantage for half the cars." Brian Wigington, Atlanta, Ga. Brian, The tracks have been allowed to handle this situation on their own. NASCAR has encouraged one pit road at all tracks but cost and timing are critical factors in making the change. Right now, only Bristol has two pit roads and there is discussion on how to amend that. "It seems odd that the Melling family has agreed to relinquish the rights to the No. 9 to Elliott/Evernham, when they had refused to do so in the past. Could the mystery young talent actually be the former CTS Dodge driver, Stacy Compton?" Jerry Behm, Orange, Calif. I didn't find it odd. I found it refreshing. Mark Melling said Friday morning that when Bill Elliott takes that 9 to Victory Lane, Harry Melling will be looking down and smiling. It was pretty emotional. If you're searching for a business tie, I would say it is quite possible that Melling will switch to Dodge. "North Wilksboro was one of my favorite stops on the NASCAR schedule. What are your memories of it?" Chris Cox, Cincinnati, Ohio I loved the racing at North Wilkesboro but the track simply didn't keep up with the times. It needed major renovations to the stands, the press box, the garage area and the infield support facilities. There was no access in or out of the track once the race began and it was a very difficult track just to get to, and get home from on race day. All that being said, I enjoyed the racing there. I remember many excting moments and I think the design of the track encouraged entertaining racing. It was also the first track I was ever fully-credentialed at to cover a Winston Cup race. "Do any of the other drivers want Mike Skinner as a teammate after the stunt he pulled (at Atlanta)? As a Childress Racing fan for years, I dropped Mike as one of my drivers on my fantasy team -- what a poor sport." Beverly, Chippewa Lake, Ohio Beverly, I won't tell Mike about your decision. But, I'm betting you'll regret it before the year is over. The only mistake Skinner made was forgetting it was so early in the race to pull a move like that on Earnhardt. Sure Earnhardt was mad, but I liked what he told Kernan on RPM 2Night the next day. He wasn't so mad that Mike made the block and the rub, Earnhardt was just upset that it happened so early and could've taken out both cars. Besides, Skinner knew he could win, and in that situation, what driver wouldn't do eveything possible to keep a talent like Big E behind him? When Mike gets to Victory Lane, I'll have him give you a wave. "When is NASCAR going to stop 'chumps' like Mark Martin from racing in almost all of the Busch races? I want to see the young guys race when I go to a Busch race. I think Jack Roush and his drivers are greedy." Craig McGarvey, Chillicothe, Ohio Craig, I think there was a mis-spelling in your letter. I'm sure you meant "champs" like Mark Martin. Well, first of all, he earned a starting spot, so it would be hard to keep him out of the race. Secondly, racers are racers. If there's a race and you want to be in it, have at it. It's also a business decision. But, above all, Mark is a great racer and the challenge of trying to beat him is just another challenge the drivers in the Busch Series must face. I know some of them are getting tired of losing to Mark, but losing gets tiring no matter who is winning. This weekend, no excuses. Mark is not entered in the Busch race, but Matt Kenseth, driving for Robbie Reiser, is. Good luck gentlemen. Oh, and Craig, I will have to deduct points for that spelling error. "When you look from the 360-degree camera in the Winston or Busch cars, you see what looks like a thin, black, piece of rubber or steel hanging from the roof with what looks to be a washer size piece at the end. I see it in Burton's car the most. What is that thing?" Chris, Hermosa Beach, Calif. Chris, in Jeff Burton's car, I believe if you look closely, you'll see a pair of fuzzy dice hanging from the end. In all the other cars, if I understand your question, what you are seeing are the restraint cables for the roof flaps on the rear of the roof. When those flaps deploy, those cables are what keep the flaps from just, well, flapping. "We've heard a lot about what Ray Evernham will bring to Dodge and to Bill Elliott. Let me turn the question around. What will Bill Elliott bring to Ray Evernham and Dodge?" Tim Burleson, Lexington, S.C. Tim-Tim He brings experience. He's very popular. He's a former Winston Cup champion. Ray now has a team in place and a driver he can work with throughout this year to get ready for next year. Bill is just 44 years old, and can drive several more years if he wants. His experience is his most valuable asset. Plus, he promised Ray free super-sized fries for the rest of 1999. "With Ricky Rudd going with Robert Yates, and with Bill Elliott going with Ray Evernham, do you see owner/drivers going by the wayside? Who does that leave as driver/owners besides Dave Marcis?" Robert C. Parker, Albuquerque N.M. Robert, I love your Spenser for Hire Mysteries. Brett Bodine is an owner/driver. Rusty Wallace is a part-owner/driver. Kyle Petty is a part-owner/driver. That's pretty much it. It was a good idea for a while, but the sport has grown so much in the last five years, it is very tough to do both. "Why is there a lack of consistency with the Chad Little and Jeff Hammonds qualifying package for the No. 97 machine? I have my doubts about how Jack Roush runs his enterprise, but now with Johnny Benson doing well as an independent, it makes me a more frustrated Chad Little fan." Jason Linder, Greenville, N.C. Jason, A "Little" more patience here and hopefully everything will come together for Chad. There has not been the balance in the Roush organization that people expected to see. But, with the success of Mark Martin and Jeff Burton, I would now expect to see more emphasis put on teams that have not delivered the performance we have seen from the 6 and 99. Four teams in the top 10 at Darlington, and Chad is 11th in points. For all you Chad fans, don't miss the Texas race! "I'm doing a research paper on auto racing and was wondering if you could possibly give me a brief description of how the aerodynamics of a NASCAR work? Also, just out of curiosity, how do you feel about the use of restrictor plates? Do you think it makes the sport safer or makes it more dangerous (due to how close the cars run to each other)?" Nick Fogleman, Springfield, Ill. Nick, I can't give you a "brief" description of anything. These guys pay me by the word! Just kidding. But a brief explanation of aerodynamics is not possible. There's drag, downforce, lift, body massaging, roof lines, spoilers. I'll try to do an "aero" column this season. As for "plate" racing, there has to be a better way, but I haven't come up with it. Most fans like it, and as long as they like, it will not change. "If Darrel Waltrip was driving for a top racing team, would he be running at the front of the pack? Would he still be retiring as a driver? He drove really well when he filled in for Steve Park. I think he can still drive competitively with the proper funding." James Battise, Camp Verde, Ariz. Equipment is important. I think Darrell is looking forward to November. He knows that it's time to leave. Hopefully, his team can give him the equipment he needs to finish strong, and hopefully Darrell can bring to the track the talent it takes to reward himself, his team and his fans. "Why have there been so many empty seats at the Winston Cup Races this year? I am referring to Atlanta when the weather was good and there still were a great deal of empty seats on the Front stretch." Dale Overton, Ellisville, Mo. Dale, I would dispute that "the weather was good" in Atlanta. I froze my tailpipe off. The Atlanta races have never drawn very well, yet they keep adding seats. A lot of fans that used to go there got turned off by the world's worst traffic. They are working to improve that and they have made major strides. But Atlanta has two crummy dates, March and November. The weather is ALWAYS bad. It's brutal enough in March and we shouldn't be racing anywhere in November, let alone in Atlanta. "I just wanted to know why the 55 team of Kenny Wallace hasn't been running well, when the No. 33 of Joe Nemechek has a top-five and a top-10 run?" Patrick Kessen, Rochelle, Ill. Good question. I think racing luck is the answer. Also, Joe has that knowledge that he has won a race working for him this season. That 55 team works hard, but has certainly been one of the early season disappointments. "I've lost interest in the IRL and CART races due to the lack of American drivers in the field. Are we going to see the same thing occur in NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck racing?" Janie Flory, Tippecanoe, Ind. Owners is all forms of motorsports are desperate for good driving talent and will hire the most talented guy available. Stock car racing seems to remain a "home-grown" sport in the U.S., but remember, I think Alex Zanardi is still looking for a ride. "Bill, I would like to open by saying that ESPN does the best job on the market to support our sport! Hands down. The question I have is the following: Who do you feel is the greatest racer ever? And what do you think are Dale's chances for an 8th championship this year?" Scott Green, Emporium, Pa. I never address "ever," I wasn't around then. As for Earnhardt, I believe that he believes that he has a solid shot this year, and that's the biggest factor. His team is good, his cars are good, but I think these are the two biggies -- Earnhardt is racing pain-free this year after off season neck surgery and he is inspired and motivated by the success and competition provided by his son. "Please explain to me how drivers get asked to be in the IROC Series. I always thought it was the champions from all the different racing venues. Some drivers seem to have a lifetime spot, while some drivers that I think should be in are not. I feel it is a very prestigous honor to be in it. Do some drivers actually turn down the opportunity? I just don't understand it? Donna Popma, Grand Rapids, Mich. IROC is invitation only and past IROC champions certainly deserve an invite back, that's why some guys are competing year after year. I don't know of anyone that would turn it down. This year the schedule did not permit the CART series to provide drivers for the events. That NEEDS to be changed for next year. "How long will it take for the Chevy teams to figure the new cars? I see some teams got it figured out allready (3,8,31), but what about the rest? Scott Connors, North East, Pa. I think teams are close. The next real test will be Texas. "With the completion of the F1 road course at Indy, any thoughts of NASCAR running a road race there -- along with the Brickyard 400?" Jim Lotz, Dayton, Ohio No. There are two road-course races already. That's plenty. NASCAR should be racing at Indy -- but only on the oval. | ALSO SEE Weber's mailbag: March 15 Weber's mailbag: March 8 Weber's mailbag: March 1 Ask Bill Weber | |||||